Katastroof was founded in the fall of 1977. Four young guys brainstormed to make an one-time folk and small-art show but, thanks to fate, they sticked together and called themselves Katastroof. The obscure performances followed each other, one by one. In those days they performed Irish traditionals and folk songs while drinking and partying in underground Antwerp.
Quickly after that, they wrote lots of songs, inspired by the pub life, sexual sins and the less good sides of the politicians and the priests.
The real breakthrough came when they signed to a label and they recorded their first LP 'Stront Aan De Knikker'. Of course, it was never played on one of the radio stations, but they did become kind of notorious Flemings.
From Antwerp, they got to each youth movement and other places, inspiring the youth and shocking parents.
At the end of past century, Jimmeke left the band, but Katastroof still continued with their obscure songs and great performances.
In 2002 multi-instrumentalist Stef Bef joined the band. New blood that made sure the band will survive the coming decennia. End 2005, Rob Snob decided to trade the Katastroof life for an easier one, and left the band.
Katastroof is from then on a trio with Zjuul, Jos and Stef and sounds way better than ever before. After about twenty albums, they stay the most downloaded Belgium band persevering in the anger.
' Antwaarpe boave ! '.
Memento Mori
Katastroof Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wailing of shells far away
I sat up and listened, I rose and got ready
To greet the last day of my life
Far away, I can hear your prayer
And I know it means goodbye
Far away, nothing I can say
All of the day, all the waiting
It drives me insane
Don′t want to go, don't want to stay
To find my fate
Stuttering guns drawing ever nearer
Faster the pounding of my heart in fear
Far away, I can hear your prayer
And I know it means goodbye
Far away, nothing I can say
On the last day of my life
Standing in line, side by side
All awaiting our doom
The whistle blows
Now the trenches will soon become tombs
No more than men, we are not immortal
No more than them, on the field we are equal
Far away, I can hear your prayer
And I know it means goodbye
Far away, nothing I can say
On the last day of my life
Far away, I can hear your prayer
And I know it means goodbye
Stay with me, safe as i can be
On the last day of my life
Then there is nothing but the sound of silence
It feels like I′m falling asleep
I know you can't hear me
But you will remember
This was the last day of my life
The opening verse of Katastroof's "Memento Mori" describes the eerie peace that precedes an impending attack. The dripping of water and wailing shells far away providing an ominous soundtrack intensify as the singer becomes ready to face his fate. The anxiety of awaiting death and the realization that it may be the last day of life is felt through the lyrics, heightened by the sound of imminent danger that can be heard in the distance. The singer hears prayers from far away, possibly from loved ones, but understands that it is a farewell gesture from them, as there is nothing he can do or say.
The second verse conveys the gradual progression from chaos to calmness. The waiting and uncertainty cause emotional turmoil, driving the singer insane. Neither staying nor going seems to solve the situation. The sound of gunfire draws closer and faster as the tension rises, and the singer's heartbeat races with fear. The last day of his life is approaching, and he hears the prayers for him from afar.
The song's finale depicts the loss of consciousness and the fading of sound, as the singer comes to terms with death. As life fades away, he knows that his loved ones will remember this was his last day on earth. The song is a poignant commentary on the futility of war and the senselessness of conflict, where all humans meet the same fate regardless of their affiliation.
Line by Line Meaning
Awoke to the sound of the dripping of water
I suddenly woke up due to the sound of water drops
The wailing of shells far away
I could hear the sound of shells being fired in the distance
I sat up and listened, I rose and got ready
I quickly got up, paid attention, and prepared myself for what was to come
To greet the last day of my life
I accepted that this was the end of my life and was ready to face it
Far away, I can hear your prayer
Even from a distance, I can hear your final words of prayer
And I know it means goodbye
I understand that your prayer is your way of saying goodbye to me
Nothing I can say on the last day of my life
I have accepted my fate, and there is nothing left to say
All of the day, all the waiting, It drives me insane
The long wait and anticipation is unbearable, and it's driving me crazy
Don't want to go, don't want to stay, To find my fate
I am torn between wanting to stay alive and wanting to face my fate
Stuttering guns drawing ever nearer, Faster the pounding of my heart in fear
The sound of the approaching guns is making my heart race even faster in fear
Standing in line, side by side, All awaiting our doom
We are all lined up together, knowing that our fate is imminent
The whistle blows, Now the trenches will soon become tombs
The signal has been given, and we know that the trenches we are in will soon become our graves
No more than men, we are not immortal, No more than them, on the field we are equal
Despite being human beings, we are not invincible, and on the battlefield, we stand on equal ground with our opponents
Stay with me, safe as I can be, On the last day of my life
Though it's my final day, I hope you'll stay with me and help me feel safe
Then there is nothing but the sound of silence, It feels like I'm falling asleep
Eventually, all that's left is silence, and it feels as if I'm drifting off to sleep
I know you can't hear me, But you will remember, This was the last day of my life
Even though you can't hear me, you'll remember that this was the day when I faced my end
Writer(s): Zjuul Krapuul
Contributed by Eli S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.